US12233675B2ActiveUtilityA1

Tire assembly for providing enhanced vehicle stability

71
Assignee: TEREX SOUTH DAKOTA INCPriority: Jul 22, 2021Filed: Jul 21, 2022Granted: Feb 25, 2025
Est. expiryJul 22, 2041(~15 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James Donaldson
B60C 9/17B60Y 2200/49B60C 2013/007B60C 15/0236B60C 11/0311B60C 11/11B60C 5/002B60C 7/105B60C 3/06
71
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
17
References
30
Claims

Abstract

A tire assembly according to the disclosure may include a wheel having a first outer circumferential surface and a second outer circumferential surface, and a tire mounted on the wheel and having a first portion that mates with the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and a second portion that is spaced away from the second outer circumferential surface of the wheel to form a cavity. Furthermore, the first portion may be a solid portion that extends from the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel to an outer circumferential surface of the tire.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tire assembly for use with a vehicle, the tire assembly comprising:
 a wheel having a first outer circumferential surface and a second outer circumferential surface; and 
 a tire mounted on the wheel and having a first portion that mates with the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and a second portion that is laterally adjacent to the first portion and spaced away from the second outer circumferential surface of the wheel to define a cavity therebetween, wherein the first portion is a solid portion that extends radially outward from the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel to an outer circumferential surface of the tire that extends from a first outer side of the tire to a second outer side of the tire, the outer circumferential surface of the tire does not extend radially inwardly of a radially outermost portion of the cavity, the tire has an asymmetric axial cross-section such that the cavity is asymmetric in an axial direction with respect to a central plane of the tire, the first portion defines the first outer side of the tire, the first portion extends from the first outer side of the tire to an edge of the cavity closest to the first outer side of the tire so that the first portion does not overlap the cavity in the axial direction when the vehicle is on level ground, the second portion extends in the axial direction from the first portion to the second outer side of the tire, the second portion is wider than the first portion, and the first portion has a width that is at least 20% of an overall width of the tire. 
 
     
     
       2. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first portion has a width of at least 2.54 cm (1.0 inches). 
     
     
       3. The tire assembly of  claim 2  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 3.81 cm (1.5 inches). 
     
     
       4. The tire assembly of  claim 2  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 5.08 cm (2.0 inches). 
     
     
       5. The tire assembly of  claim 2  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 6.35 cm (2.5 inches). 
     
     
       6. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel comprises an annular portion having a first outer diameter, and the second outer circumferential surface of the wheel comprises an annular portion having a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter. 
     
     
       7. The tire assembly of  claim 6  wherein, when the tire assembly is mounted on the vehicle, the first portion of the tire is positioned on an outboard side of the vehicle. 
     
     
       8. The tire assembly of  claim 7  wherein the wheel has an inboard bead configured to be positioned on inboard side of the vehicle when the tire assembly is mounted on the vehicle, and wherein the inboard bead has an outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter of the annular portion of the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel. 
     
     
       9. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel comprises an annular portion positionable on an outboard side of the vehicle and having a first outer diameter, and the wheel has a bead positionable on an inboard side of the vehicle, and wherein the bead has an outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter. 
     
     
       10. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the tire comprises a filler disposed in the cavity. 
     
     
       11. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the tire comprises foam disposed in the cavity. 
     
     
       12. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cavity of the tire is fillable with air. 
     
     
       13. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 25% of the overall width of the tire. 
     
     
       14. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first portion of the tire has a first inner diameter, and the second portion of the tire has a second inner diameter that is larger than the first inner diameter. 
     
     
       15. A vehicle comprising:
 a chassis; and 
 two of the tire assemblies of  claim 1  attached to the chassis so that the tire assemblies are disposed on opposite sides of the chassis, wherein, for each of the tire assemblies, the first portion of the tire is configured to define a tip line so that the tip line is aligned with a plane that is parallel to a side of the wheel and that extends continuously through the first portion from the outer circumferential surface of the tire to the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and the plane does not extend through the cavity. 
 
     
     
       16. The vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle is a boom lift vehicle having a movable boom assembly supported on the chassis and a work platform at an end of the boom assembly. 
     
     
       17. A vehicle comprising:
 a chassis; and 
 a tire assembly attached to the chassis, the tire assembly including:
 a wheel having a first outer circumferential surface and a second outer circumferential surface positioned inboard of the first outer circumferential surface; and 
 a tire mounted on the wheel and having a first portion that mates with the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and a second portion that is laterally adjacent to the first portion and spaced away from the second outer circumferential surface of the wheel to define a cavity therebetween, wherein the tire has an asymmetric axial cross-section such that the cavity is asymmetric in an axial direction with respect to a central plane of the tire, the first and second portions collectively define an outer circumferential surface of the tire that extends from a first outer side of the tire to a second outer side of the tire, the outer circumferential surface of the tire does not extend radially inwardly of a radially outermost portion of the cavity, the first portion is a solid portion that extends radially outward from the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel to the outer circumferential surface of the tire, the first portion is configured to define a tip line that is positioned outboard of the central plane of the tire so that the tip line is aligned with a plane that is parallel to a side of the wheel and that extends continuously through the first portion from the outer circumferential surface of the tire to the first outer circumferential surface of the wheel, and the plane does not extend through the cavity, and wherein the first portion defines the first outer side of the tire, the first portion extends from the first outer side to an edge of the cavity closest to the first outer side so that the first portion does not extend over the cavity in the axial direction when the vehicle is on level ground, the second portion extends in the axial direction from the first portion to the second outer side of the tire, the second portion is wider than the first portion, and the first portion has a width that is at least 20% of an overall width of the tire. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The vehicle of  claim 17  wherein the first portion of the tire has a first inner diameter, and the second portion of the tire has a second inner diameter that is larger than the first inner diameter. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle of  claim 17  wherein the width of the first portion of the tire is at least 25% of the overall width of the tire, and the second portion of the tire has a width that is at least twice the width of the first portion. 
     
     
       20. The vehicle of  claim 17  wherein the first portion of the tire does not extend under the cavity in the axial direction when the vehicle is on level ground. 
     
     
       21. The vehicle of  claim 20  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 25% of the overall width of the tire. 
     
     
       22. The vehicle of  claim 17  wherein the outer circumferential surface of the tire has a convex shape from the first outer side of the tire to the second outer side of the tire. 
     
     
       23. The vehicle of  claim 17  wherein the outer circumferential surface of the tire has a convex shape from the first outer side of the tire to the second outer side of the tire, excluding any tread pattern. 
     
     
       24. The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein the first portion of each tire is positioned on an outboard side of the vehicle. 
     
     
       25. The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein, for each of the tire assemblies, the first portion is configured to define the tip line so that the tip line is positioned outboard of the central plane of the tire. 
     
     
       26. The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein the width of the first portion is at least 25% of the overall width of the tire. 
     
     
       27. The vehicle of  claim 26 , wherein the second portion has a width that is at least 2.5 times the width of the first portion. 
     
     
       28. The vehicle of  claim 15  wherein the second portion has a width that is at least 3 times the width of the first portion. 
     
     
       29. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer circumferential surface of the tire has a convex shape from the first outer side of the tire to the second outer side of the tire. 
     
     
       30. The tire assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outer circumferential surface of the tire has a convex shape from the first outer side of the tire to the second outer side of the tire, excluding any tread pattern.

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